3 Healthcare Stocks Holding Up in a Volatile Market

When the market is under pressure, I’m not always looking for what’s up the most.

Sometimes I’m looking for what’s simply holding up better than everything else.

That’s what caught my attention with healthcare.

The healthcare sector had been trending higher while other parts of the market were more volatile, which led me to focus on HCA Healthcare, Intuitive Surgical, and Moderna.

HCA is one of the largest hospital operators in the U.S., with exposure to emergency rooms, surgeries, inpatient care, and other essential healthcare services.

The long-term story makes sense to me because healthcare demand tends to increase as the population ages.

Technically, HCA had formed a double bottom earlier in the year and was still in a broader uptrend.

For the trade, I discussed a June 17, 2027 bull call spread:

Buy the $500 call

Sell the $580 call

Approximate net debit: $35

Approximate breakeven: $535

The key technical level I’m watching is the 20-day moving average. If HCA pulls back and holds that area, the bullish trend can remain intact. A break below it would cause me to reassess.

Intuitive Surgical is interesting because it combines healthcare demand with advanced medical technology.

The company makes the da Vinci robotic surgical system, which helps doctors perform minimally invasive procedures.

The recent growth numbers were strong. Q3 revenue increased approximately 22% to $3 billion, while worldwide procedures grew roughly 15%.

The chart also showed improvement, including a W-shaped bottom and stronger moving-average trends.

For Intuitive Surgical, I discussed a January 15, 2027 bull put spread:

Buy the $400 put

Sell the $410 put

Approximate net credit: $4

Approximate potential return discussed: 40%

What I like about this setup is the cushion. The stock doesn’t have to make a perfect move higher for the trade to potentially work.

Most investors still associate Moderna with its COVID vaccine, but the company has other drugs and partnerships in development.

One program discussed in the segment had advanced to Phase 3 and was showing encouraging results related to melanoma.

Technically, Moderna had been trending higher since earlier in the year, although it was still dealing with resistance and mixed momentum.

For Moderna, I discussed another January 15, 2027 bull put spread:

Buy the $200 put

Sell the $210 put

Approximate net credit: $4

About 71 days until expiration

Again, I like having room for the stock to move instead of requiring it to immediately rally.

The bigger lesson isn’t that every healthcare stock is automatically a buy.

It’s that when the overall market becomes volatile, I want to know:

Which sectors are holding up better?

From there, I can narrow the market down to individual companies and ask whether the fundamentals and technicals support the idea.

HCA gives me a hospital and healthcare-demand story.

Intuitive Surgical combines healthcare with technology and strong growth.

Moderna offers a broader pharmaceutical pipeline than many investors may realize.

Then I can choose an options strategy that fits the individual setup.

A strong sector alone isn’t enough.

I still want to understand the company, study the chart, identify the important levels, and define the risk before entering a position.

The goal isn’t to be perfectly right about where a stock goes next.

The goal is to find stronger areas of the market and structure the trade so you have room to be wrong.

And when the market gives you a strong move, remember:

You never go broke taking a profit.

Watch the full Big 3 segment on Schwab Network to see how I break down the charts, key technical levels, and options setups for HCA Healthcare, Intuitive Surgical, and Moderna.